There are some paintings at Upfest that you fall in love with at first sight and this magnificent mural by Sphiza is exactly that. From the moment I first saw it, I knew it was something rather special.
Sphiza, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
In this piece, which makes extraordinary use of colours to create shadings and texture (a bit like a stencil might), Sphiza conveys an important ‘peace’ message via a portrait of a youngster drawing a peace symbol on a sheet of paper. I don’t know very much about Sphiza, and haven’t seen any of her work before, but am especially interested because she is from Porto in Portugal, and regulars will know how much I love the city.
At last year’s Upfest, Cuicasolo was given a lovely wall in the Hen and Chicken café garden, this year she had to make do with one of the square boards, which she has painted expertly.
Cuicasolo, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Cuicasolo’s designs are nicely thought out and have a mixture of geometric discipline and abstract freedom, creating work that dances in front of your eyes. The colour selections work well together and the overall piece is pleasing, it is a pity she wasn’t allocated a wall to paint this year, but with so many artists, a large proportion of them end up painting boards,
In one of the prettiest backwaters immediately off North Street is the perfect street art wall. This miniature park, ‘Ebenezer Pocket Park’, has benefitted from some stunning murals over the years, and at Upfest 22 it was the turn of Philth.
Philth, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Philth is perhaps best known for his floral designs, one of which can still be seen in North Street Green, not far away from this piece. In this outstanding mural, which has a retro feel to it, Philth has painted a beautiful young lady in amongst an ocean of mushrooms and fungi. The ribs under the caps have been cleverly observed and recreated. What makes the piece special is the green tones that have been used and the splashes of red, lifting the whole design to another level. A truly wonderful Upfest piece.
The third in a rash of Logoe pieces from his recent visit to Bristol, this piece is on the container under the M32 and a surface that Logoe has painted before. I think that, with their corrugated sides, containers must be very difficult to paint, but Logoe has done a fine job of it here.
Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022
What really seems to help with this piece is the black background, which removes any distractions. As we would expect, the piece consists of Logoe’s own brand of script writing accompanied by an array of different sized dots liberally dispersed horizontally along the piece. I would love to see if Logoe could paint dome different letters and switch things up a bit, only because I know it would look amazing.
This piece is another fabulous tribute to Sear by Stivs. Hidden behind a small tree on the M32c roundabout, this calligrafitti piece brings out all that is best in Stivs, including his compassion for a fellow artist.
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
The rich colours painted on a black background have a rather sombre tone and are perfectly fitting for a tribute piece. The letters are beautifully proportioned and regular in size, with near-perfect accuracy and tightness. The drips simply add a great finishing touch.
On a shutter, next to another of his works (the Garfield one), Taboo gives us one of his typically irregular pieces of writing. The style he adopts is known as anti-style or ignorant-style, as explained in this rather weird vlog.
Taboo, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, August 2022
The letters spell out TABOO, and in keeping with the style, there is an irreverence for high design or regularity that you might find in wildstyle writing. There is pleasure to be had from the piece, however, and the pink background overlaid with white letters somehow works really well. No characters to accompany the piece on this occasion, but a fine work nonetheless.
I understand that Erviti, who has brought so much fine art to the streets of Bristol, is leaving/has left the great city, which is a real shame. Her impact, alongside the Bristol Mural Collective, has been noticeable and welcome, and her memorable cat under Brunel Way remains intact.
Erviti, Jamaica Street, Bristol, August 2022
This piece was painted on the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) open air gallery in Jamaica Street, and was one of several pieces supporting the ‘My Body – My Rights’ campaign, shortly after the abortion ban in the USA. The piece was painted using Graphenstone paint that absorbs CO2 and is, I believe, a self-portrait. Lots to like here.
Hypo has started to paint a little more frequently lately, and one might describe him as becoming Hypo-active (see what I did there?). This is another fine example of his work in the tunnel, a venue that he appears to favour.
Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022
On a light blue background, the letters, spelling HYPO, are nicely filled with a horizontal transition grading from, dark red at the bottom to sky blue at the top. The whole piece stands out from the wall thanks to a 3D drop shadow with horizontal lines adding depth. All in all a satisfying piece.
The starburst of pieces by Logoe on his most recent visit to Bristol, are a welcome injection of diversity for our walls, and this time he has spread his wings, hitting more spots than usual, including this ramp in the Dean Lane skate park.
Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022
I scarcely need to describe the writing, or indeed the typical decoration that goes with it, other than perhaps to highlight the fine colour selection of gold letters on a pink background festooned with pink, yellow, grey and purple oval dots. He includes a nice shout-out to TES, Haka and Silent Hobo, none of whom, I assume, were available to paint with him on this visit.
Natural adventures 